Village of shadow

Finally! This village is not as lively as I thought. Whatever, I just have to ask someone about the story and then leave this weird village," Elric muttered to himself.

"Oh, he looks kind," Elric thought as he approached a man. "Hello sir, I've been wondering if you could tell me about someone who is super smart and knows ancient history and mythical tales," asked Elric.

"First, tell me who you are, kid. Out of nowhere, you're asking me questions. You're the one who should be answering! Who are you and why are you here?" the village man replied.

"Sorry, my mistake, sir. I should introduce myself first. I am Elric Shawn from Eirini village. I am here seeking answers to my questions. Who knows about mythical tales and history? Can you please tell me someone in the village who can help me?" Elric explained.

"Now I see. Follow me. There is one man who knows more about both history and tales than any of us. I will personally take you there because you are the second visitor we've had in the last decade. We consider every visitor as our guest," said the village man.

"A decade??" Elric asked in surprise. "Really, no one has visited this village in the last decade? Strange, but why?"

The village man replied, "I don't know, but maybe because it's hidden between the forest and hard to reach. There is no special thing here for which people come, maybe that's why."

"Look there, you can see the house. There, you will find a man with a long beard. He is the elder of the village. You can ask whatever you want. Now, I must go take care of my farm."

"Thank you," Elric said to the man.

Inside the boundary of the house, there were stones everywhere. A strange scent caused fear but also smelled familiar. Elric bravely said, "Is anyone home?" twice. Then a voice from inside came, "Come in, the gate is open." As he entered the house, it didn't seem that big from inside. He crossed the hallway and went to a room connected to a lawn. "What a peaceful place," Elric thought. Small ponds with fishes and the cleanest water he had ever seen, melodious insect sounds, and an old man with a beard meditating in the corner. The old man opened his eyes and said in a calm voice, "What do you want to know?"

The old man was a charismatic person with red eyes. Elric didn't know about him, but he assumed with just a glance in his eyes and his aura was astonishing. Elric also asked, "How did you know I am here to ask you something?"

The old man smiled gently and said, "Because everyone who finds their way here is in search of something. Also, your friend told me about you. He is standing right behind you."

"Wh.. Wh.. What? My friend? Who?" Elric turned around. "Ohhh, Julius!" (Elric was shocked.) "Julius, what are you doing here?" Elric asked.

"Oh, after you left, I felt bored. Then the vacation extended, so I thought why not check on you? But why are you late?" Julius said.

"About that, I got lost in the forest, and a man helped me find my way to this village. But how did you know I was coming to this village? I didn't tell you," Elric asked.

"I had no intention to find this village. I just went hiking towards the western mountain in hope of maybe finding you but ended up here. Who would have thought this village, very close to the city, is not known at all among people? When I arrived, it was late at night, so I asked for shelter and also asked about you. But he didn't know about you. However, I believed there are no villages in the western mountain, and crossing the mountain without enough food is not wise. From this, I concluded that you were coming here. So, I waited, and thank God you came because I was leaving today back to the city," Julius explained.

The old man said, "You have been walking for days. Why don't you just eat and rest? We can talk later, and then I will try to answer your questions. Julius, let your friend taste the fresh fruit you brought this morning."

"You are right, I am hungry. Where are the fruits?" Elric asked.

"Follow me," Julius replied.

Both were eating fruits, but Elric quietly asked Julius in a low voice, "Why is there a weird smell around the front gate? And this village is also quite weird. No people around the streets. Don't you think it's strange?"

"First, when I came here, I also thought that way. But the scent is of a special oil these villagers use to protect themselves from bad energies. It's their tradition to spill oil around the front gates so all negativity will stick to the oil because oil attracts dirt. I don't know about the negativity, but it actually prevents harmful bugs from entering the house by weakening their senses and making them unconscious," Julius explained.

"That's why the weird smell is coming from the house. But what about the people?" Elric asked.

"As I know, all people love meditating during the day. Only those assigned to take care of farms will be seen outside as they all work in rotation shifts for taking care of the farm. That's why you didn't see many people. They usually interact with each other during the evening after long meditation," Julius said.

After resting for a few hours, they both wanted to know what they came for, so they went and asked the old man, "Are you finished with your meditation?"

The old man replied, "Meditation is not a means to an end. It is both the means and the end. It is also a way for nourishing and blossoming the divinity within you. But now I am ready to answer your questions. Ask what you want to know."

Elric said, "We found a book in the library about King Ahron who became a great saint."

"See, this is the book," Julius showed the book to the old man.

Elric said, "You stole the book from the library."

"It's not stealing, it's borrowing. There is a difference. Pay no attention to it. Focus on the story," Julius said.

The old man replied, "I know this book is not complete, but all the answers you seek reside in a certain book which is a mystery and placed far from the reach of humans. It all starts with a death..."